Topline H/J Schooling Show Weekend.
On Friday Oz, me, our coach and a bunch of her fabulous students and their horses all trailered up to Salmon Arm for the weekend of showing. There was I believe 7 students of Briannes in total and then parents, and other family members. The weather tried to cooperate, and during the actual showing it was dry, Saturday it was warm and dry, Sunday just dry. But after our classes in the evenings, we had downpour. And for those of you that don't know this, Ozzy melts when its raining, and was thoroughly not impressed with the fact that he was outside during all this. He did have a rain sheet and cooler on, but he's used to his large warm stall when the weather starts to turn, let alone left outside with no shelter ALL night while it rained ALL night. I believe if showing is going to be as active as I'd like, I may have to look for sponsors just for a bigger trailer and truck... just so the precious Oz doesn't have to sleep outside,but can stay warm and dry in the trailer with me.
Saturday was our day to show, and I had signed us up for 8 classes that day. 5 Flat classes in the am, and then 3 Hunter classes in the afternoon. Our first class was English Equitation, and he was a very good boy for that class. I believe we got a 3rd in that class out of 6 or 7. Next was English Pleasure, and Oz again was a star - his canter was still a bit strong, but nothing in comparison to other shows or at home when he wants to canter, we recieved a 2nd out of 7 in that class as well. Hunter Uner Saddle was our 3rd class, and I probably went into the ring to loose. He's a Clyde I don't want flat knee or a light horse look. We also were on the wrong lead in our canter at least at one point possibly two. We took a 5th/5 on that class. During this class, he was also not paying attention to me, but watching the otherside of the ring be set up with jumps.... and you could just feel him getting all hot (well hot for him) as he saw the standards going up.
We had 2 other classes, command and something else, but I was getting a wee bit pooped - its not THAT easy riding a green clyde, when your a green and out of shape rider yourself. And knowing we had 3 Hunter classes coming up, we decided to give him and me a break and scratch the next couple of classes and put him in his pen for a rest.
I think the last thing that horse needed was a rest in retrospect! When it was getting close to our poles on the ground class and I was tacking him up, he was tossing his head up at the slightest touch of the reins. At first I thought I may have twisted the bit in his mouth, or gotten it under his tongue somehow... so I took it off and then put it back in, and it didn't help. I had Brianne get on him, as I was just worried that something was bothering him. But nope nothing bothering him... he was just itching to go.
Our first class was poles on the ground, we had I think it was 10 poles to go over, and he was doing very well until we got to a set that on the right hand side of the standard was a jump that looked like a wall.... well that was SCARY! And he deeked left. So we turned around and made sure that this time he was going to go over it. We finished that class. But as he had made that refusal - we knew we were out. I haven't had a chance to see the photos from that class to see if he was stepping over the poles or jumping them. Poles on the ground is something he used to love, then for a while he was trying to scoot around them at home and at the Summerland show, and so we've been working with them a bit at home... but with him its a crap shoot on somethings whether he's going to work with me or against me. This time he worked with me.
The next class was cross rails, which quite frankly looked HUGE!!! I don't know what it was about them that had me intimidated, whether it was because the sides were so much higher then I was used to, but I know now that I went into that class with my head already doubting us.
The first jump was beautiful, but after that my pony covered my ass through the whole course. We stayed on course this time (YEAH!!!) and not a rail down (YEAH!!!) but I did not have my heels down or my back straight, shoulders back... I let my horse down. We finished, but it wasn't pretty and I know it.
After that class, we were done, okay I was done. My legs were like jello! Oz was still ripping to go though, and I thought if I was that nervous on my cross poles class then I am not going to be able to do 2' hunter. I put my horse away, and came to watch the class... and kicked myself totally for it. I knew I could have done that class - if my legs weren't so jello like! The 2' vertical looked so much smaller then the cross rails, and I know we had done a vertical that looked much higher then that at home. But I also knew that I was just so tired.
We stayed until Sunday to support the other riders, George, Kim, Kyra, Little Amy, Megan and Robin who were absolutely fabulous! Everyone went home with a ribbon in some class.
It was a great weekend, fun despite the weather. The facility is amazing! And the people that were running it were really great. I'm not sure who the whipper in was but he was there all weekend, I don't think I saw that man take a break and on Saturday we were showing steady from 9am to 7:30pm. Sunday 9am to 3:30pm. This is definately a place I'd love to show again! It was a great learning experience for us, as we've only had a coach at one other show with us and that was last year when I was showing against 10 year olds. Brianne was incrediably patient and supportive, and I think we all love having her on the side lines for us, and in the warm up rings with us.
Moving forward what I did take away from this show is that I am done with flat classes at least at shows. Keeping my legs on him is hard hard work, specially on those days that he just doesn't want to listen to your leg, its that much harder! And to use up so much energy for classes that both of us have grown a wee bit tired of doing is just not doing either of us any good. So moving forward its hunter classes and small jumping going forward. We will save the flat schooling for home, and have fun at the shows doing what we both love to do!
Our next show is in Kelowna this coming long weekend, and we will now be just entering the Sunday classes. Although Oz stepped on my foot or rather toe over the weekend (as he was trying to avoid stepping in poop in his pen) and its rather purple, blue, sore and swollen right now. I had my bf look at it as he used to be a first responder with a company years ago, and he said it didn't look broken, sprained is a good possiblity. I know it won't fit in a tall boot this weekend, but its not going to stop me from riding. I'm going to try and fit it in a field boot today and go out there and tool around with him. At this point I'm devoted to riding 4 days a week, but I will also be playing lottery cards often as my heart wants to be riding 6 days a week now!
There was a professional photographer at the show, and I'm just waiting for a couple of days until she gets the photos up online and then I will be buying some. I will post them as I get them. Other people took some shots as well, and my mom took some video. So I will be trying to upload those as well either later today or tomorrow.